


Just Out Of Reach

by emosdontsleep



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 03:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7417801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emosdontsleep/pseuds/emosdontsleep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arin Hanson: be it Lord, royalty or regular dude, can't keep himself away from a man with wild curls and a wicked smile, regardless of laws. But every time the desperate romantic lays his hands on Dan, a universal force pulls them apart brutally. Feat sad Arin and pretty-boy Danny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Out Of Reach

Soul-mates do not come easily; like sand, they slip through your fingers more than they stay. Sometimes you have to embrace the brief moment you'll have with them: a perfect moment in time. And sometimes you have to chase them through history to find the perfect moment.

"Good morn'." Sir Hanson tipped his cap at a pair of passing ladies and winked as they covered their faces with delicate paper fans to hide blushing cheeks. It was a habit he had picked up in his bachelor youth. If he were to be caught flirting with such young women he may have been reprimanded by their suitors but everyone in the town knew the Lord as a pleasant and gay man in all senses; he needn't worry.

The cobblestone street beneath him was warm with the fair Salem sunshine, his fine walking cane sounding as he walked. It had been a gift from his father, to hail the success of the peaceful world. The end of war was not an occasion to sniff at. Though he and his father weren't close, it was a very sweet gesture.

"Sir, sir!" A chipper voice that could only be attributed to a street-news townboy sounded from behind him. The gentleman turned around and wrinkled his nose as the unwashed young boy approached him and pointed enthusiastically towards the town square. It was instinctual and Arin immediately felt guilty for having such a reaction.

"What troubles you?" Whilst Lord Hanson was a rich man, he was no bell swagger. To turn away a child would be rude and uncouth of him and may effect his reputation. Not to mention how affectionate he was towards children, especially the orphans he met on the streets.

"They have caught the witches sir! A hanging and burning is afoot!" The streetboy recited. This caught the attention of the rich gentleman and he decided to stop and watch, though he was no violent man himself. He dropped a half-penny into the streetboy's pocket and put a finger to his mouth as to not bring his wealth to the attention of the several street-children that were surely around.

"Many thank's sir." The boy whispered in awe.

When the gentleman arrived at the bustling town square, he glanced around the crowd to see any of the usual betters and rioters that surely would show at any event such as this. His search was interrupted by the voice of the town mayor:

"We gather on this morn' to condemn those guilty of practising blasphemy and black magic. These men and women are of the lowest scum and will surely rot in hell."

A line of six men and women were brought out at a time, each hung for their crimes against God. Though Mr Hanson was not a faithful man himself he understood why such punishment was required...but the pain and wailing of each man and woman almost caused a doubt in his morals. The societal acceptance of hatred had always sad strange in the mans stomach.

The last line of men and women walked out in shackles onto the platform of nooses and Mr Hanson was all but leaving when he saw the last man walk a-stage. He had short but wild hair, such of a man who could not afford the wax he himself used, and even though his face was bruised and bloodied his sparkling brown eyes met Hanson's own and smiled. He smiled as if he was not a dead man being put to death, but a man alive with life ahead of him and a full belly. And it was at Mr Hanson that the gaze was aimed at, as if he knew the man well enough that they might even have been friends had one of them not had a noose around their thin necks. Something strange came over Arin and he couldn't help himself from calling out.

"Mayor Johnson." The rich gentlemen raised a hand and halted the command of the Mayor. Surprise rippled throughout the crowd and Mr Hanson walked forward to meet the Mayor beside the stage. Several people began to cry out in outrage. Bloodthirsty hounds, Arin scolded them silently.

"Lord Hanson, what ails ye so?" The mayor watched Mr Hanson as if he was a sick man and it was in his best interest to be cautious of him. It must have been strange to be approached in such a manner.

"I wish to buy the freedom of the last man. I will pay no mind the cost." The gentlemen swallowed any doubts and pulled his coinpurse from his belt.

"Lord, you must understand what crime this man has committed." The Mayor urged him in the same manner you might urge a child from touching the kettle. "He is no man of God, but Satan himself. You wish to buy the freedom of a guilty sinner? You must be mad, sir!"

"I wish to buy him as a kitchen boy." Lord Hanson nodded as if the crimes did not bother him. If the class of the gentlemen had been lower, or reputation stained, the Mayor may have turned him away as nothing more than a fool.

"You understand that he is evil?" The mayor pointed angrily to the boy, who seemed to smile in reply.

"I understand, Johnson." Arin snapped.

"The payment for freedom is 5 shillings." The Mayor spoke like an exhausted man, having his power used against him by a Lord.

The money was exchanged and to the shouts of protest from the gathered townies, the man released from his noose and handed to Lord Hanson as if he was nothing more than a sack of potatoes.

Up close, the man was even more so unfortunate and a duke of limbs. His Eastern blood showed on his light brown skin, tanned arms lanky as a lame horse. This alone made it believable that the man may be a kitchen boy, but the idea was not Mr Hanson's intent. He had mind not to keep a single hand or foots man in his house, for he had no reason to. The man was able to wash and cook for himself, why pay some orphan to do it?

He took the guilty man's shackles in one hand and led him towards a side street. The exchange was not to be a public one, as one such as this would surely tarnish an honest man's reputation.

"Thank you, Lord." The man spoke softly and sweetly, like a honey-bird. His deep eyes imploring the rich gentlemen to look away as not to be tempted by a guilty man. But as he averted his gaze, the Lord could still feel the man's gaze on his face.

"Do not thank me." Lord Hanson shook his head as he unlocked the man's shackles. When the metal fell from his underfed wrists, the sinner rubbed the rash they had left behind with a hiss.

"How else is one to thank their saviour if not with words?" The misplaced smile returned and this time Mr Hanson was able to examine it properly. The man smiled as though he knew some advice the Lord himself knew not. It was a look of someone much more happy than his circumstance called for, and the thought made Mr Hanson cheer up.

"Thankfullness is not an action, sir." Mr Hanson felt a smile gracing his own face and tried to pull it away. He was not one with the sinners, he was a high gentlemen. For some reason, the sentence he had recited for 26 years made his stomach ache with the feeling of a lie. "The coin in this sack is enough for one to leave this town and find home in a safer place. You are not to return and if a man or woman was to ask, my name is unfamiliar to you and yours to mine."

The gentleman handed over his remaining coin and pressed it into the man's hand, as if this was the most sincere he could muster.

"You are a kind man." The convicts eyes widened at the heavy coin purse in his own hands as if he had never seen so many at once. "Might I inquire as to why you bought my freedom, Lord? There were many finer women than me being condemned."

That thought made Lord Hanson laugh. As if his interest had been in any female criminal on the platform, for any reason a rational man may have considered. A wife was not to be made of sin.

"You smiled, sir, as if you were not dead man. The Devil doesn't smile, you were not guilty." The gentleman answered honestly. "Now you are to leave, before the people oppose my generosity and impose the law themselves."

"I won't forget you soon, sir." The man straightened himself and took a final breath. Before he left the ally, the last time Mr Hanson would see him, the man brushed his soft lips against the gentleman's own and smiled.

"Grateful may not be an action but I could not resist, your Lord." He whispered into Mr Hanson's ear before stealing the night and leaving in long silent strides.

That night was never one Lord Hanson forgot so long as he lived. As his wife slept beside him, the gentleman would imagine and re-imagine the kiss over and over. He never breathed a word of his shameful desires to any person, not even on his deathbed. The nameless man haunted Lord Hanson until the day he died.

 

Sometimes it's in the passing. Maybe you pass them on the street and you share a second of eye contact before they disappear into the crowd, an aching loss the only reminder of them left. Savour these. If you are meant to be, the universe will pull you together again.

 

"Avidan." A sharp, commanding voice broke the servants attention from the horse. Dan pushed his curls out of his face with a dirty hand and turned to face the voice.

"How's that horse coming along?" The head of staff walked over to the animal, heavy boots snapping the hay underneath. He grabbed the horse's head and Dan tried not to flinch as he tossed it this way and that. After a painfully long examination the head stepped back and shrugged.

"It'll do. The Prince will be down soon, clean yourself up." The head of staff sneered at the servant and walked off to bother someone else. Or whatever else demons do, Dan thought maliciously. But he stopped himself to take a breath. The head was just as scared of his higher power as Dan was of his and it was his job to be brutal. Despite his situation, the servant hated the idea of thinking bad of someone. Everyone was trying to survive as much as himself.

Dan walked to the small water bucket at the back and dunked his hands into the cold, murky water. After making sure all of the dirt was off, he picked up a length of ribbon and pulled back his unruly mane of hair. It wasn't right for the prince to see him in such an informal state, but the ribbon helped. He walked a circle around the horse once, before coming to greet it and stroking it's gorgeous mane.

"Your hair looks beautiful, maybe we should keep doing the hot water rinses?" Dan murmured to her while feeding the animal a carrot. "You're gonna get to go outside today and not a lot of us have seen that, so enjoy it okay?"

"Is this Annabel?" A rich-toned voice interrupted Dan's soothing voice and he jumped back from the horse. He didn't even have the chance to look at who it was before he had to step back and dip his head. It was royalty after all.

"Yes, this is Annabel." Dan replied politely. He had never seen the prince before but a glance wasn't something worthy of a punishment every servant knew existed. It was considered treason, and that was punishable by death or your meal privileges were taken away.

"Where's her saddle?" The prince inquired. "The red one."

Dan kept his gaze to the floor and swallowed, terrified of the question. Was he going to get in trouble for replacing it.

"I'm sorry, your highness, it was tearing at the seam and I didn't think it would last another journey. We've sent a servant into the village to retrieve another, but this was the closest I could find." Dan tried to speak clearly but found his throat tightening up.

There was a moment of silence, where Dan wasn't sure what the prince was thinking because he couldn't see his face. He stood and prepared himself; he had seen his friends punished for less.

"Oh, right." The prince cleared his throat. "Yeah okay that's fine. Just, uh, make sure it's back on as soon as possible. It's the comfiest one I've ridden with."

Dan let out a shaky breath and allowed himself to smile as the prince mounted the horse and trotted away. He hadn't been chastised for doing something risky and now he was allowed to go and have lunch. But first he waited. There was an achingly long silence until:

"Back to work!" Was yelled from the gates and he was allowed to look back up. But his gaze found the foreign object on the floor first.

It seemed to be a piece of rope but as he knelt down and examined it further it appeared to be a length of fabric like his own. But this one was much softer and of much higher quality, maybe silk? As the answer came to him, he dropped the fabric and stumbled backwards in case anyone had seen him touch the thing. It must have been the prince's. For what, Dan had no idea but he knew that the prince would return to pass the horse back so he laid the fabric on a post and began the walk to lunch.

"I heard you met the prince?" Barry spoke quietly, barely making eye contact with his friend. It was something they had grown accustomed to.

"Mhm." Dan nodded, biting a chunk out of his bread roll. "I didn't see him but he seems nice."

"What about the red saddle? Me and Ross were waiting for you to stop showing up for meals." His friend shuffled closer at the mere thought of losing Dan, the only other person besides Ross who understood him. You stuck together in a place like that.

"He was quiet for so long." Dan shook his head gently. "I was so sure I was gonna get punished. But then he just kinda brushed it off."

"He didn't say anything?" Barry marvelled, watching Dan's face for any hint of a lie.

"No." Dan confirmed, then lowered his voice to a whisper. "Maybe he's not a monster like his father."

Barry nodded gravely, leaning in to drop his voice. "I was on kitchen duty last year and three people were starved for forgetting to warm the spoon. It was probably the scariest thing I've ever seen."

If anyone had heard the two servants speaking so casually and so ill of royalty they would have been beheaded right there and then. But that was the best part of the stables: nobody wanted to go near them for smell and distance. It was the furthest place from the kingdoms centre point. They were safe to speak as themselves.

"How's Ross?" Dan decided to change the subject before things got too grave. He needed to stay positive.

Barry drank the rest of his flask and sighed contentedly. "He's good. The idiot finally has meal privileges back but he's on second lunch for a while as punishment. I think he's okay with it though."

"How long was it?" Dan asked, though he knew the answer.

"Nearly 6 days." Barry replied. "I can't imagine what that must be like, I couldn't go a day without..."

But he trailed off as he met Dan's gaze and they were both reminded of last year. Barry shut his mouth, feeling a wash of shame and guilt pass over him. Dan swallowed and looked away.

Serving had still been a new concept to Dan, especially the bowing your head and not looking at royalty, so he would get punished more frequently than anyone in the servants quarters. One day he messed up worse than anyone had seen without the result being death: he looked at the queen. He had been a messenger for her and accidentally glanced up to make sure the mail was sitting on the tray correctly. But he caught her gaze by accidentally.

It was the worst three weeks of Dan's life, even with Ross and Barry sneaking him whatever they could find in the scraps. He dropped to nearly a skeleton and kept throwing up when his meals finally returned. Since then, Dan had become the most obedient in the kingdom and it was well known. They had made a successful example of him.

"You'd better go," Dan cleared his throat, "The prince will be back soon and I have to clean up after. But wait for me at dinner, yeah?"

Barry's face returned to it's usual cheer and he embraced Dan tightly. Tenderness and affection were rare in their lives, so they relished in moments like that. Dan ruffled his friends hair as he left, making Barry chuckle. He watched him walk all the way back to the kingdom through the tiny stable window while he finished his lunch.

*

The sound of hooves made Dan's heart skip and he quickly did a once-over glance of the area to make sure nothing was out of place. Once he was sure, he stood his back to the wall and bowed his head obediently. Annabel was recognisable even from a distance.

Dan had done this with other people so often it was muscle memory for him. He took the horses reigns and led her to the horseshoe, so that the prince would be facing the correct way to walk back. Once there, he took the steps and placed them to her side before returning to her head. Once the prince was down from her, he would take the reigns off and de-saddle her before she got a rash. He did all of this without looking up once.

The prince would walk to the stable doors and leave any equipment there, then ring the bell to let Dan know it was okay to look up again.

But he didn't. Dan tried not to think about why he may have done wrong and instead focused on the routine. Horse, saddle, equipment, bell, clean. It was simple. Even Ross could have done it without blinking an eye. But the prince didn't seem to follow the same routine as he wandered around the stable, examining the other horses.

"Why is this horse laying down?" The prince asked loudly, so Dan would hear him. He didn't need to look up to tell it was Lola, Dan's favourite horse. She was black as night with longer mane than any horse he had seen.

"She is with foal, your highness." Dan replied shakily. He hated that the prince wouldn't just leave and instead dragged out the encounter for longer.

"Oh." The prince seemed moved. "When is she due to give birth?"

"In a few months, your highness. Another stable boy suggested it may be 4 and I suggest it to be 3." Dan's hands shook as he led Annabel to her bed.

"Are you to keep it?" The prince inquired.

"It is not mine to keep, your highness." Dan almost chuckled at the idea, but kept it to a reserved smile. "That decision is for the King or Queen."

He could feel the prince's gaze on the back of his head as he worked around the horses to make sure they were all fit. It took minutes for each one, but with an observer it felt like hours. Especially one that could kill you if he decided you weren't helpful enough.

"Do you enjoy working in the stable?" The prince asked as Dan was cleaning Lola's face.

"It is rewarding, your highness, and I care deeply for the horses." Dan was being honest. He had done almost every job in the kingdom and this was his favourite, maybe it was the company.

"I sometimes feel sorry for servants." The prince seemed genuinely guilty in that moment, and Dan was confused by it. "I don't agree with keeping them but then again, who would do all of these things for us."

Dan was required not to speak unless asked a question, so he remained silent. This seemed to make the prince sad.

"Do you understand what I'm saying? I don't even know your name and yet you prepare the most important part of my family's journey every day." The prince seemed to be opening up, becoming less formal with every word. Dan took the question at the beginning as an invitation to speak.

"Working here is safe, your highness. If we are obedient and quiet, we are treated better than any other job in the kingdom." After a pause, Dan swallowed and continued brushing the horse down.

"The rules are ridiculously strict for the day's standard. Every time I walk into a room I am met with the crowns of people and never their faces. Do you know how lonely I am? To be feared more than I'm loved?" The prince sniffed and Dan thought he heard his shirt rustle as he wiped away a tear.

The servant was feeling gutsy that day, and opened his mouth before his brain caught up with him. "We are as favourable to that particular rule as you are, your highness. It isn't enjoyable when one of our friends contracts Stiff-Serving."

"What is Stiff Serving?" The prince asked.

"An ache in the neck, your highness, that stays with the poor soul for weeks that makes it difficult to look up. It is caused by looking down for too long." Dan stood up and closed Lola's gate, still averting his gaze from the prince.

"That's awful." The prince gasped quietly.

Dan began walking back to the main gate when a hand reached out and grabbed his shirt. He knew it was the prince, but the action still scared him.

"Do you know what I look like?" The prince inquired and was met with a shake of Dan's head. "As sure as I don't know your name."

"Would you like to know my name, your highness?" Dan asked meekly.

"Yes." The prince was so close Dan could feel his breath touching his cheek.

"Daniel." He nearly whispered. It was something not many people knew, or cared to know, and so it became almost a secret for Dan.

"Daniel." The prince repeated. "Look at me, Daniel."

Everything in Dan's body and mind screamed not to do it. It was wrong, punishable, forbidden, treason. But surely the prince was giving him permission, right? Was it therefore okay to look? His mind began to swim and before he could change it, he slowly tipped his head up.

The prince had kind, chestnut coloured eyes that made Dan melt. His face was rounded with wealth but he wasn't smug with it. In fact, the prince was smiling, parting lips revealing whiter teeth than Dan knew could exist. But most of all, the prince had flowing dark hair, almost shoulder length like Dan's own, and it was so shiny Dan couldn't stop staring.

"See?" The prince smiled. "Now we aren't following the rules can you see how it should be?"

Dan nodded, dumbfounded by the prince's beauty. He couldn't take his eyes off of him, and this made the prince giggle.

"Have you really never seen me before? Not even when there were no commanding officers around?" He asked.

Dan shook his head. "Treason, your highness."

"Don't call me that." The prince shook his head. "It makes me feel like my father."

"What am I to call you instead, your high-" Dan cut himself off and the prince laughed at his anxiety.

"Call me Arin. Nobody does. It can be our little secret." The prince lifted a hand and Dan had to stop himself instinctually flinching. But the hand simply brushed hair out of Dan's face and returned to the rails.

"Arin." Dan tried the name out on his tongue and smiled. It felt wrong, but so exhilarating it had to be right, like eating forbidden fruit. They walked back to the main gates together in comfortable conversation, as though they were equals.

"I believe you left behind your ribbon, Arin." Dan remembered the length of fabric tied to the post. "It's surely expensive."

Arin laughed as Dan presented him with the fabric. To him, it must've been a scrap.

"That's merely fabric I use to tie my hair up. Keep it." The prince smiled at Dan's shocked expression.

"Thank you." The servant marvelled at the fabric and it's softness.

"Is that really a luxury for you?" Arin frowned. Dan laughed instinctively, remembering he was in the company of an equal, at least for that moment.

"This is the most expensive thing I have touched." He replied as though it were obvious, still running his fingers over it.

Arin seemed to be looking at him sympathetically, for he couldn't understand but was trying to. He had never had to live without luxuries or servants and to see someone who had made him feel guilty.

"Are you working here tomorrow?" The prince asked.

"Yes, I work here everyday." Dan beamed.

"I want to come and talk to you again tomorrow, Daniel. If that's okay?"

Dan laughed. "I can't deny you. So yes."

Arin frowned, as though teaching a child. "No, Daniel. I mean it. Are you sure it's okay if I come and talk to you again tomorrow? This is a question you're allowed to deny."

Dan's laugh turned into a smile and he nodded. "It would be an honour."

"Then I will see you tomorrow." Arin smiled and turned, beginning the walk back to the kingdom.

*

"You are dismissed." Dan's ears pricked at the sound of the prince's voice outside. Part of him had been sure the prince wouldn't return like he had promised, but here he was.

He stood up and brushed hay from his pants, stepping through the horses' legs to get to the main door and greet Arin.

"Good afternoon." Dan greeted Arin with a bow. It was one he would have given anyone but Arin laughed and returned the favour, something he would have gotten hung for had it not been in his own stable.

"I've brought you a gift." Arin mentioned as Dan led him to the place he preferred to sit. It had a blanket thrown over a hay-bale, which meant it was the comfiest place around.

"A gift?" Dan frowned. "But I'm a servant."

Arin laughed, taking his cloth bag from his broad shoulders and setting it down in between his legs. He opened it and inside Dan could see several white lumps.

"What is it?" Dan asked, eyes trained on the bag.

"After you told me that you didn't have many luxuries I began to wonder what the servants ate. The chef told me the menu and I was confused because that's not food. This is food." The prince took a parcel from his bag and handed it to Dan. After a moment of faltering he unwrapped the napkin with delicate fingers.

It was a few slices of a meat Dan had never seen before. To be fair, Dan had seen very few meats in his life, but this one was unfamiliar to him.

"What is it?" He picked up a slice and held it to his nose to sniff.

"It's beef." Arin replied, taking a slice and a bite. "I'm sorry it's cold but food is really hard to take without arousing suspicion. It's also a little dry."

Dan took a careful bite and began to chew, flavour exploding in his mouth. He wolfed the rest of the slice down and forgot to savour the treat he would almost certainty never have again. Arin was laughing loudly.

"You like beef?" He beamed at the servant, who was acting as though he had just been presented with gold.

Dan nodded quickly. "It's really good."

"How about cheese?" Arin handed Dan another package and watched him unwrap it as carefully as before.

"I had cheese when I was younger, my mother made it for us when we were leaving the house." Dan broke a chunk off and popped it in his mouth, letting out a heavenly moan.

Arin laughed again. "Is it good?"

Dan nodded enthusiastically and continued breaking off chunks until Arin took the last parcel out and handed it to him. This time, the parcel was shaped strangely, like it held light rocks or something similar.

Inside was 10 rounded, red berries. But they were larger than Dan had ever seen. They must have been something reserved for royalty.

"What are they?" Dan asked curiously, picking one up and examining the hundred of tiny seeds on it.

"Strawberries." Arin smiled, taking one and showing Dan how to remove the green top so he could eat it safely.

It was sweeter than anything Dan had tasted and felt like a kiss. He closed his eyes and smiled as he chewed, savouring every bite. Having never seen someone so ecstatic to eat a strawberry, Arin watched the servant with curiosity. With a sense of awful sickness he realised that he was finding himself growing fond of the boy in the same way his father wished him to be fond of a rich princess.

"Have you ever had wine, Daniel?" Arin asked.

Dan swallowed the fruit and shook his head. "That's only for royalty and rich drunkards." The answer seemed recited.

"Would you like some?" The prince asked genuinely. Dan's mouth dropped into a shocked 'o' and he nodded, then remembered his manners.

"Yes please." His eyes were big and innocent and Arin felt like embracing the boy. But instead he pulled a flask out of his pocket and handed it to Daniel.

"I'm afraid I couldn't take a glass from the kitchen or I may have been caught." Arin apologised as Dan sniffed the liquid and coughed.

The servant put the flask to his lips and tipped it ever so slightly, letting the liquid fill his mouth before swallowing the bitter drink. It made his chest feel warm and he shivered dramatically at the strong, bitter aftertaste.

"Good or bad?" The prince asked, a chuckle passing his lips.

"Strange." Dan paused, passing the flask back. "But good."

Arin chuckled and took a drink himself, trying not to focus on the matter of their lips both having touched the same bottle neck. He was almost caught daydreaming about such matters but the servant caught him out with a question.

"Why are you being so kind to me?" Dan asked out of nowhere.

Arin considered it himself. Maybe it was because he had found a kindred spirit in the servant boy, or perhaps it was the rebellion of befriending a servant. A voice deep in the recess of his mind suggested it may be due to the servant boys attractive smile and deft hands but the prince quickly silenced that voice.

"You deserve kindness." Arin answered simply. "All of you do. Which is why I suggest you save some of your treats for your friends."

Dan had almost forgotten about Barry and Ross, which of course made the servant bow his head with guilt. When he was hungry they would bring him food and who would he be not to do the same. So, after another strawberry, he wrapped the parcel back up and placed them in his own cloth bag.

"Do you mind if I ask some questions of you?" Dan asked the prince. "I have few."

"Of course, but only if I am allowed to return the favour?" Arin asked with a smile and Dan nodded. "Then go ahead."

Dan thought for a second, mind searching for the most important question he had on his mind. "What is it like to be a prince?"

Arin sighed deeply. But it wasn't one directed at Daniel. It was directed at the kingdom.

"It's lonely, but also I am surrounded by people every day. It's strange. I have many luxuries but no one to share them with. It's the most stubborn of curses." He replied honestly.

"Is that why you are being so kind to me, perhaps?" Dan suggested.

"Perhaps." Arin agreed with a nod. It wasn't a odd thing to suggest to either of them, as it was probably true.

"May I ask another?" Dan inquired.

"I wish to ask you one first." Arin responded. Dan nodded. "What is it like to serve?"

"To serve or be a servant? The difference is grand." Dan asked.

"The second." Arin corrected himself.

"The job itself is one I would happily commit myself to if it weren't for the living quarters. Or the punishments." Dan added the second quietly. "Several fortnights without food is a fate I would wish upon no one."

"You were starved?" Arin looked at Dan like he was a dying man. "For what?!"

"In my younger years I wasn't quite settled into the servant duties and I glanced upon the queen." Dan confided this information like it was something shameful. The thought made Arin's stomach turn. His own mother had ordered this beautiful soul to suffer horrendously for weeks.

"I'm so sorry." Arin put his hand on Daniel's leg and stroked his thumb in a gesture he hoped was comforting.

"To serve is easy." Dan continued, voice straining from emotion. "You speak when spoken to and complete tasks in return for a bed and meals. It is simple."

The prince couldn't relate, and that hurt him more than being able to would. He made a silent vow to treat every servant in the kingdom with the same respect he gave Daniel. They were human, and scared. Much like the prince himself.

"What was your question?" Arin asked.

Dan looked up at the prince with a sad smile and cleared his throat. "I was going to ask your favourite thing in the kingdom."

That made Arin laugh, that a boy would be so interested in neither food nor riches more than the prince's past times.

"Besides riding out in the country?" He took a breath. "I have an affection for drawing."

"Drawing?" Dan couldn't help a smile at the thought of the prince sitting down and drawing a delicate flower or perhaps a dove.

"I enjoy portraits." Arin nodded. "But not a soul will sit for me. They have called it disrespect, which makes no sense to the man they are disrespecting but I am told to obey the rule."

"I would sit for you." Dan quickly added. "-Were our circumstances different. If I was a rich princess or someone similar."

They both laughed at Dan's use of Arin's description of a suitor earlier in the day. The prince was imagining the servant boy in a grand ball gown.

"I would like that." Arin's smiled fondly at Dan, and the servant felt his heart skip a beat. His affection for men had been little news to his friends, but still it wasn't something to be brought up around company.

Barry and Ross would only steal kisses when they were in the close quarters of their bed, or in the kitchen alone. Dan had always felt a pang of jealousy at their luxury.

The two boys began passing the flask of wine back and forth, becoming more loose and forthcoming with every pass. Somehow, the servant ended up with his body in between the prince's legs and his head resting on the royal chest.

"And what might a servant boy's favourite thing be?" The prince asked with a confident smile.

"I love music." Dan smiled at the word, as though it by itself brought him joy. "I sing to the horses every morning."

"You don't." Arin laughed. Dan nodded. "But how are animals to enjoy such a beautiful sound? It should be a privilege only for the highest payer."

"Are you suggesting I sell my voice?" Dan laughed, the wine turning his head fuzzy and his lips too loose.

"I'm suggesting you sing for me, Daniel." Arin replied, no joke in his tone.

And so Dan did. He sang a song his father had passed onto him before returning back onto the journey he dedicated his life to. It was a lullaby, in his father's native language, to serve as a protector of bad dreams and to remind the child the sun will rise. The message always brought Dan comfort that one day he may be something more than a stable boy.

"What was the song about?" Arin inquired, his hand grasping the servant boys and playing with it like a child.

"A new tomorrow, or perhaps hope. I have long since lost my father's tongue." Dan ran his finger along the hem of the prince's jacket. They lay in silence for a few moments until the night bell rang making both servant and price sigh.

"Can I have the pleasure again tomorrow?" Arin almost pleaded as Dan sat up and began collecting his belongings.

"You wish to come back again?" Dan inquired with a raised brow. "Is your highness not weary of peasant company already?"

The prince rocked up on his heels and linked his fingers with those of the servant. He smiled affectionately at the boy, perhaps fuelled by wine or rebellion. Whatever form of poison it may have been, Arin cupped the boy's face and pressed their wine-stained lips together. It was his first kiss, one of many for Dan, but neither mattered.

Dan's head was swimming with words and things he would like to be doing with the prince, but for now a kiss was all he needed. His hands crept to the prince's waist and pulled him closer, making both parties smile.

"Your highness?!" An exasperated voice called from far away. Arin jumped away from the servant boy and both giggled quietly.

"I have to leave." The prince left a single kiss on Dan's cheek and stole away.

"There you are!" The voice met up with Arin outside. "Where were you, your highness? The queen has been worried sick!"

"Merely a night-stroll, sir. The kingdom has become boring for my spirit." The prince sighed and they walked back to the castle together.

Dan pressed a few fingers to his lips and couldn't help a grin at the memory of kissing the prince. Ross and Barry would never believe him.

*

"You didn't!" The shorter boy gasped scandalously.

"It wasn't my doing." Dan shook his head. "A gift from a friend."

"A friend? A gesture more suited to an admirer, Dan." Barry couldn't take his eyes off of the bag. "What's inside?"

"Royal food." Dan smiled at the two boy's shocked expressions as he lay out the food. "These are strawberries, you have to take the green stalks off before you eat them. They're very sweet."

"You smell of wine." Ross looked at Dan with a knowing smile. "Did your friend give you some of that also?"

"We drank some, yes." Dan couldn't stop smiling.

"Was it the prince?" Barry asked without much curtesy. "We were asked of his whereabouts earlier and neither of us could answer."

"It may have been." Dan's grin was so wide he was afraid his cheeks may split. The giddiness brought on by wine was filling him with love for his secret lover.

"You're playing with fire." Ross frowned through a mouthful of strawberry. He swallowed and added: "You know the punishment is hanging."

"Ross," Barry swatted at his love, "Enough of the grim talk. Don't you want to know what the prince looks like?"

Ross quickly shut his mouth and let Dan speak for what seemed like hours about the prince's hair and eyes and lips. They lay in the dark together like kitchen maids, discussing what it may be like to be royalty and marry whomever they wished. Dan could imagine them all too well: Arin standing beside him in a beautifully sewn suit as they were wed to one another. He could imagine himself in a suit similar, never having to dirty his hands or his friends theirs.

For a night, he had almost convinced himself it may be. That he and the prince would be happily together forever.

The next day, Arin returned with another bag but this time it was only the afternoon. Dan had but finished his bread roll when a knock on the door frightened him.

"May I inquire into the contents?" Dan gestured to the bag.

"Of course," Arin nodded, "But before that, last night I had somebody deliver a blanket for the horses." 

Dan had noticed the blankets in the shed this morning but they had a small card atop them, instructing Dan not to touch them until the prince's arrival. He had obeyed.

"The blanket on your hay is awful and cheap, so I had my maiden knit you one more suited to the weather. There is another one for Lola, of course." Arin watched Dan's smile brighten and felt his chest swell with happiness.

"You are too kind." The servant walked over and retrieved the blankets, fanning the first over the horse and stroking her mane. The second was much too big for one body and Dan would have bet his life that it was intentional. It was the softest material he had felt in his life, perfect for the bitter winds that were kicking up in the late months.

"Is it okay?" The prince asked arbitrarily. Dan reached up to bring the prince's face to his and kissed him sweetly, sure that he would never tire of such an act.

"It's perfect." Dan nodded, kissing the prince once again before sitting the blanket down onto the hay and sitting down.

"You inquired into the contents of my bag." Arin stated as he sat down beside the servant, too close to be anything friendly. "And I want to show you."

He took out a book bound by leather and a few pens. His full name was beautifully carved into the side of the book: His Royal Highness, Sir Arin Joseph Hanson. Dan stifled a laugh at the formality of the man's name.

"What is the book for, His Royal Highness Sir Arin Joseph Hanson?" Dan giggled, unable to help himself.

"When we first met, you told me you would sit for a portrait if circumstances were different." Arin smiled. "I decided I couldn't wait for that day to come, if it were even to."

So they sat together as Arin drew Dan as he saw him while they spoke about their lives. The prince spoke of his over-bearing father and how he was set on finding Arin the most wealthy princess in the country, while he truly wanted to enjoy his life travelling. Dan told Arin of how he had travelled from a place down south in search of a new life after his father left on his own journey.

"He was a religious man," Dan explained, "Who had been chosen by God to spread the good news. None of us argued against him leaving."

"Where did your sister go?" Arin asked, sketching intently. "You said she was a strong willed woman, correct?"

Dan laughed. "Indeed. I believe she joined a seamstress up north and sews for the rich. She may have even made your jacket."

"She would be a very skilled woman." Arin chuckled. "I brought you some more food in case you were hungry. It's in the bag."

Dan took a parcel out of the bag and unwrapped it, revealing a beautifully intricate pastry filled with plum puree. Ross had spoken about the kitchen maids sneaking him spoonfuls last night. He happily nibbled the sweet pastry as Arin continued his drawing both sitting in comfortable silence.

"Finished." Arin finally lay the pen down, massaging his hand. "Would you like to see?"

Dan nodded enthusiastically and brushed the crumbs from his fingers as to allow him to pick up the book. It looked beautifully grand, almost as if Dan himself was the prince and Arin the artist. The prince surely had an eye and hand for beautiful art, particularly when it came to men. The servant had never had such an honour in his life.

"You think too highly of me." Dan traced a finger along the paper.

"You don't like it?" Arin seemed hurt.

"That wasn't my intention," Dan laughed. "I meant to say that I love it. You're a very talented artist."

"I had a very talented muse." Arin replied affectionately, his fingers under Dan's chin to bring him closer before kissing him again. The prince had tasted many of the sweetest desserts from all over the country but he would swear upon his honour that the servant boy's kiss was the sweetest thing he had had.

Once Arin had finished his portrait, they lay together for hours whilst talking about their dreams. Both had been told by their parents what was to happen in their lives, but both men hated the idea of a planned life.

"I don't take my freedom for granted." Dan shook his head. "Though I am chained to some responsibility, I still have control over my marriage."

"A luxury." Arin agreed quietly, then chuckled. "We've found a luxury you have that I don't."

"It's not a luxury." Dan frowned. "Or rather, it shouldn't be. Isn't it ridiculous?"

"Why should I marry a princess purely for riches?" Arin challenged. "What if I was to marry a princess for beauty, or...a stable boy for his heart?"

The servant tipped his head backwards and met the prince's gaze, an inexpiable sense of happiness filling him. He knew it was silly, but he could see his future in the prince's eyes. He could see the wedding day and a royal bed they shared, perhaps even a music box.

"Do you worry for your future, Daniel?" Arin asked quietly, as though seeking reassurance.

"Sometimes." Dan nodded. "What is to be will be."

"I like that." Arin smiled, holding the servant boy closer to him. And it almost felt like he were meant to be there, in love with someone who was deeper than riches. It felt like his own future.

"DAN!" A terrified shout woke the servant from his well-needed slumber. He awoke with a jolt, scanning the room for who had been in danger. He was met with his lover's face, inches from his own. Arin's fingers found Dan's face, weaved into his hair and he pressed their foreheads together as salty tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Arin? What's wrong?" Dan caught his lovers face and pulled him so he could see him.

"You need to leave. Right now." Arin was trembling hard and he seemed to slip from his prince prince persona. "A servant saw us kiss in the stables and my father is trying you for treason. He..." Arin began to sob, unable to continue.

"What is he going to do?" Though, with a sick sense of dread brought the answer in Dan's stomach.

"He wants to hang you." Arin choked out, grabbing tightly into Dan. "I need to get you out of here."

Dan followed Arin into the darkened halls of the quarters, silent tears streaking the servant boy's face. Nothing he owned would be worth taking, so he took nothing. Upon arriving at the back entrance, Arin retrieved a large satchel and thrust it into Dan's hand. The harsh winter air bit both of the boy's wet cheeks and neither wanted to part. Annabel stood patiently by the side of the house, covered with a saddle and blanket.

"The gates are open and there's enough in this satchel to find a new home." Arin stumbled over his words, trembling with frost and trying to grip Dan at the same time.

"I don't want to leave you, Arin." Dan sobbed into the prince's shoulder. "I love you."

Those three words seemed to cause a stir in both boy's hearts and they sobbed harder with the knowledge that they would never see their lover again.

"Daniel, you have to leave." Arin pulled the servant's head to look at him. "What is to be will be, isn't that what you said? If our love is to be, we will meet again."

Arin kissed the servant boy hard, one last moment of their freedom before he released him from his grip and watched the slim boy grapple onto the horse and began riding off.

"I love you!" Arin cried out as Dan approached the gates. Then his true love had disappeared from sight and his fathers hands were on his shoulders.

"What are you doing?!" His father shouted at the young boy. "Did you think you were in love with a mere servant boy?"

Arin wept bitterly for weeks, refusing to respond to his father's relentless anger. He truly believed what he had said to Daniel, that they would meet again. Every night, the boy would trace his fingers over the sketch of the servant boy, then his own lips and remember the kisses they shared.

What is to be will be. Even when you are sure it is the perfect moment, Father Time will tear you apart in the most brutal ways to show you it isn't. However...fate is not cruel and will give you a break every so often.

Dan drummed his fingers on the counter as his eyes wandered to the clock of the store he was trapped in. Outside it was nearly 90 and people walked past in giggling, stripped couples: a cruel reminder of Dan's own rising body temperature and loneliness. He sighed and pulled his hair into a loose bun to try and cool down but even after taking off any piece of clothing that wouldn't get him arrested he was still uncomfortable.

"Hey Brian?" Dan called into the backroom where his boss would stay to avoid talking to the customers. Why a guy who hated dealing with music elitists set up a music store would always be beyond Dan.

"Yeah?" Brian responded after a pause. The guy would undoubtedly be sitting listening to music in the air-conditioned backroom while Dan worked his ass off out in the sun's path.

"Can I turn the AC on or something? I'm sweating balls out here." The younger man fanned himself with a hand uselessly.

"Sorry, don't have enough for the bill this month." Brian responded simply. "Shove some ice cubes down your pants or something. It's only 90."

Dan wasn't someone who got mad, or even agitated, very easily. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he even frowned at someone who had deserved it; it wasn't his deal. And it might've been Brian, or the heat, or the way he had worked nearly 10 hours that day and was barely getting paid enough for it, but something struck a chord with him. He spun on his heels and slammed the door to the backroom open, meeting Brian's smug face sitting in front of the fan that had disappeared when Dan clocked in that morning.

"Dude, come the fuck on! I'm working my ass off for you, I even deal with the little kids so you don't have to. The least you could do is give me a fucking fan!" Dan tried to sound aggressive and pissed off but it came out exhausted and grouchy.

Brian opened his mouth to respond but a timid jingle of the front desk bell interrupted him. Dan gave the manager one last glare and turned with the friendly grin he had down to a science to greet the customer. Maybe he'd get lucky and it would just be the young punk girl who came to buy picks for the music club for kids that she ran. He could chat with her for a while to avoid cleaning the drum-kits.

But it wasn't her. It was a dude a few years younger than him who looked like he would be more suited for a painting than a music shop. But the man greeted him with a nervous smile and Dan switched to customer service mode.

"Hey I'm Dan, can I help you with anything?" He recited the script, a little more enthusiastic than usual for this guy's benefit. He seemed to appreciate that as he relaxed a little.

"Uh, this might be weird but I work across the street and you've looked really bummed for the past couple hours. Someone mentioned you don't have AC on in here and I thought this might help." The stranger pulled an chilled can of soda, condensation rolling off in tiny droplets akin to Dan's brow.

"Wow, uh, I don't know what to say!" Dan chuckled in surprise, thankfully accepting the can. It was a strawberry soda water he hadn't ever tried before but he loved strawberry in any form. "Thank you. I love strawberry, actually."

"No one should have to work customer service in 90." The guy smiled coyly, offering his hand. "I'm Arin."

Dan shook it and though he would never admit aloud, something felt strangely familiar about the stranger's grasp. Even his smile felt like that of an old friend's, which made Dan strike up a conversation: they might know each other from his old rave days or when he worked in that hipster cafe.

Have we met before? You seem really familiar." Dan inquired, leaning his weight onto the counter casually while he popped the can open with a slim finger.

Arin chuckled. "I was just thinking the same thing. Did you ever live in Florida?"

"I wish." Dan sighed wistfully. "I've been here my whole life, barely left the neighbourhood. When'd you move here?"

"A couple years ago. Mom needed a better place to rent for the horses and I couldn't stand the heat anymore so we got a cheap apartment downtown." Arin explained simply. "It's uh...not too much better here, city-life wise."

Dan shook his head and laughed. "No way, dude, I refuse to believe New Jersey isn't livelier than Florida. You just haven't explored the indie scene yet."

"The indie scene?" Arin raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't even know where to start."

"There's a band playing here after we lock up, I could get you front row tickets." Dan flirted, leaning closer ever so slightly.


End file.
